
True cost
What this house really costs — before and after closing
Last verified
Photo by lorimcm on Unsplash
Put in a price and where it is. You get the buyer’s side of closing and the first year of owning, line by line, every number from a fee in the ledger with its source and how sure we are. Property tax uses Charleston County’s own method: 4% for a legal residence, 6%for anything else.
At closing · Seabrook Island
| SIPOA transfer assessment (0.5%)Secondary | $5,000 | |
| SIPOA transfer feeSecondary | $250 | |
| Seabrook Island Club Capital Fee — NeighborhoodRequired for owners who bought on or after Jan 1, 2005.Confirmed | $25,000 | |
| Water/sewer account (SIUC)Confirmed | $35 | |
| Recording the deedConfirmed | $15 | |
| Total | $30,300 |
The first year
| Property tax (6% second home, 246.1 mills)Before any credit — the county doesn't say whether a second home gets one.Confirmed | $14,766 | |
| SIPOA annual assessmentConfirmed | $3,133 | |
| Club dues — Neighborhood (12 months)Confirmed | $5,532 | |
| Club service fee (12 months)$20 a month for members living outside 29455.Confirmed | $240 | |
| Water base fee (12 months, before usage)Confirmed | $295 | |
| Sewer (12 months)Confirmed | $677 | |
| County solid-waste feeConfirmed | $150 | |
| Total | $24,793 |
Coming later
| Club 2027 Master Plan assessment (billed quarterly in 2027)Confirmed | $750 |
On the seller's side
| Deed recording fee ("deed stamps")The seller's by statute; a contract can shift it.Confirmed | $3,700 |
Not in these numbers
- Attorney, title insurance, lender and inspection costs — ask your closing attorney and lender for quotes.
- Insurance premiums (wind, flood, home) — they depend on the house; check the flood zone first.
- Water and sewer usage beyond the base charges, electricity, internet.
- Prorations at closing (dues and taxes split by date).
Every fee here names its source and the date we last checked it. Associations change fees; confirm with the association and your closing attorney before you close. This is an estimate from published fees, not a closing statement or tax advice.

Photo: JulDer Wiki, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized)
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Talk it through with Mike, or ask Val — the guide’s AI assistant, answering from this site’s sourced facts.
